Crossing Paths: Leah Clearwater's Story
by s.i.l.v.e.r-silv
Summary: In order to get away from it all,Leah enlists in the USAF.To her shock,she qualifies for a special program.Little does she know, her life is about to be turned inside out.Rated T for violence/random ramblings of a teenaged werewolf.Full sum on profile.
1. prologue

**.prologue.**

It wasn't too bad, really, dying in the place of one you loved. It wasn't even too bad to die looking into his eyes, knowing that he could do nothing to save me from my death. After all, in that moment, I knew that he loved me. Nothing could make me happier (except, of course, to live _normally_ with him) but that he loved me, after all this time. I had spent so long just trying to get over Sam, and then trying to avoid fate, that it was pure, blissful relief. It wasn't even terrible that Sam had dumped me, now. If he hadn't, I wouldn't have met _him_, after all.

What was terrible was that I had let him down. He had counted on me to save him, and now I was the one who needed saving.

I knew that had I never joined the Air Force, I would have never met him. I would have continued to live until I stopped phasing (I doubted that would ever happen, though,) grew old, and died. But I would have been completely and utterly miserable. I didn't regret coming here, even though I was here, about to die, in the place of the one I loved.

I was content. I had known him for a short time, and that was enough. He was my soul mate and now that I had met him, I couldn't live without him. He completed me. And as I looked into his dark intelligent eyes, I knew that I completed him, as well. He had become an outcast, like me; two of a kind, freaks each of us in our own unique way. When I had finally found him again, he'd finally understood, even though we were going to die because of our own actions. Well, his actions to escape, and my actions to find him.

The timer on the C-4 beeped. I knew that it was warning me that there were only 10 seconds left until the timer went off and the explosives went off. I didn't look away from my beloved's eyes, not even blinking as the numbers ticked down to zero.

I smiled blissfully as the C-4 roared.


	2. Chapter One: Taking the Plunge

.chapter one: taking the plunge.

**a/n- I don't own Twilight or the Stargate universe. I only own the OC's and the plotline for this story. According to this timeline, this story starts about 3 years after Breaking Dawn, but the last season of Stargate: Atlantis didn't happen. Atlantis is still in the Pegasus galaxy. No previous knowledge required of the Stargate series. This story will not include the upcoming show Stargate: Universe.**

**Sorry if Leah is a little OOC without the cursing, but I don't curse (I hate cursing/swear words/bad language as a whole), so I won't ever put cursing into my stories.**

_It's always hardest the first time._

"Come on, Leah. You can't do that to m-the pack! Please, don't leave!" Sam pleaded, his voice desperate. I could practically see the pain in his face. I winced as the hole in my chest ripped open again.

"Too late, Sam," I said curtly. "I have enlisted for the Air Force, and I'll be gone in 24 hours. Just what you always wanted, your happily ever after with your ex-girlfriend's cousin, without having to hear your ex-girlfriend's painful, bitter thoughts whenever you phase. Now you get to have your happy ending—just you and your scarred Emily. Too bad it won't be happy, since you tore her face off; she'll _never_ completely forgive you for that. That's right, it's your fault. It's your fault _any_ of this crap freaking happened."

I pressed the red button and forced myself to calm down before I crushed the fragile little cell. It was modern and waterproof (I often went cliff-diving with it, and it survived _that_ easily enough) but I could still crush it oh, so easily. I was wearing guy shorts, so I slipped the skinny black object into my pocket and browsed the fridge for some food. I had gotten off of my last patrol (of course I didn't tell the pack that it was my last patrol) an hour or so ago, and I had been ravenous since then. But first I'd had to finalize the details with my contact from the military college, a Major Danning. And then I'd had to tell Sam that I was leaving. I knew that since he wasn't a wolf any more, he wouldn't be able to Alpha-order me to stay. That was the same reason I hadn't told Seth, Embry or Quil yet. The others hadn't phased in a while, so I didn't think they would stay wolves for long; Brady and Collin were the last to phase, over a week ago, and even then had only run patrol half-heartedly.

Since Jake had left, and Sam was no longer a wolf, Embry was the Alpha; Jared had stopped phasing long ago to be with Kim, and Embry had been the next one to phase out of all the wolves. I couldn't stand to be around La Push with _him_ as Alpha. And worst of all, my mom was marrying Chief Swan in just under half a year…vampires, humans, and werewolves all in one family? Ha! I _definitely_ couldn't stand to be around here for that.

Though I would miss some things, like cliff-diving and fighting leeches, the Air Force would hopefully provide enough of a challenge for my mind to stay off of the subject of mythical creatures. Of course I would keep phasing; I knew that I wouldn't be able to handle life as a human, not anymore; no matter how much I wanted it. And the super-fast healing would definitely help me in the armed forces. Not to mention the super-strength and super-speed. My top physical condition would help me pass any tests I needed to. In fact, that's the whole reason I was accepted.

I had enlisted for the Air Force a couple of days after I'd gotten the news of Mom and Chief Swan's engagement. When I completed the tests, the results astonished the testers. I told them I had a condition that made me age really slowly (technically not at all, but they couldn't know that), heal really quickly and have a really high temperature. They had told me of a special program, even more top-secret and classified than Special Forces such as the Navy SEALs, that I was perfect for; they had even rescinded the Department of Defense's law that only men could apply for (let alone get into) special forces which required rigorous training, for me and a few other exceptions. I had immediately accepted their offer. They had warned me that I could never tell anyone not in the program about it, but I agreed to that.

There was nobody to tell, anyways.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. I glanced at the caller ID disinterestedly and saw that it was an Unknown Number. I shut the fridge door and stuck a box of microwaveable lasagna in the microwave, setting it for two and a half minutes, before flipping open my phone and answering it carefully, trying to remember not to crush it if I got impatient.

"Leah Clearwater."

"This is Major Danning."

"Ah…hello, Major. Is there a reason you're calling, sir?" I was bewildered. Why was my contact in the military college calling me? Was I being kicked out of the program?

"Yes, Ms. Clearwater. I was just calling to confirm that you'll be on the flight to Colorado Springs at 0900 hours tomorrow morning." His words were clear and professional. I guessed that he had done this a lot; I had caught a hint of boredom in his voice.

"Yes, sir." My answer was immediate and firm. "I will be getting on that plane and I will not be looking back."

"You realize that you will not be able to tell anyone in your family or any of your friends about what's happening, Ms. Clearwater. Once you get on that plane, there is no turning back."

"Yes, sir, I realize that." I paused. "There's nobody to tell, sir."

The line was silent for a moment; Major Danning was clearly uncomfortable. He cleared his throat. "Umm, I'm sorry, Ms. Clearwater."

I snorted. "No need, sir. I'm ready to leave this place behind me for good."

My bags were already packed. I had two duffle bags, my old bookbag, and a large suitcase. I had packed everything that I could fit inside the luggage, and then crammed the bookbag full of food. Airplanes never carried enough to satisfy a werewolf. Though, thankfully, I wasn't picky, so I usually enjoyed the bag of peanuts, the packet of cookies, _and_ the bag of pretzels that American Airlines offered.

The microwave dinged, so I took out the lasagna and ate it without bothering to wait until it cooled down. It was delicious, but it didn't satisfy my hunger, so I set another one to microwave. While I waited, I flashed upstairs to my laptop (something else I would be cramming into my bookbag) and turned it on. It was already plugged in, so it had been charging all day, and it would be charging all night as well. My iPod touch was low on battery; I plugged that into my laptop to charge it while I checked my e-mail.

_You have: 0 new messages._

I shrugged. Nothing new. Nobody ever e-mailed me about anything. Nobody wants to talk to witchy Leah Clearwater, ever. It didn't matter; I would get a new e-mail, along with my new life. I might text Seth my new e-mail…but _only_ him. My little brother was still a decent guy, despite the fact that he was a wolf but still best buddies with the leeches; although I hadn't been speaking to him very much since he had imprinted.

I was downstairs in a flash while I waited for the program's website to load; the lasagna was done. I ate this batch with a fork before licking it clean of all the tasty lasagna sauce. I had no clean cups, so I put all the dishes in the dishwasher for a quick wash cycle. It would take half an hour to complete, at which time I would put away all the dishes—one last gesture to tell my mother I loved her, despite the fact that she was staying over at Charlie's for the weekend—except for the cup I would take with me. It was tall and slender, made of translucent blue Plexiglas, and had the words "Leah Clearwater" engraved along the top. I had had it since my 15th birthday…Sam had given it to me.

There was still a heart with the letters S&L engraved in the bottom.

Originally, I hadn't wanted to take it with me; I had wanted to burn it. Plexiglas did burn, at about twice the boiling point of water. I had wanted to burn it on Sam's porch so he knew that he was forever gone from my life; that he was burned out for good. But then I realized a fact: if I didn't take it with me, I wouldn't have anything to drink from, unless I bought a water bottle (which I couldn't take on the plane, since liquids had been banned from all air travel) or a disposable cup from a fast-food place.

So I had decided to keep the cup, and pretend that the S&M in the bottom of the cup didn't exist. If necessary, I would paint over the bottom with a dark color—maybe black—so that I couldn't see it. Or if I got too desperate, I _could_ throw it away.

I just didn't want to, because it would be my last memento of my first—and hopefully last—relationship. _Yeah, relationships are overrated. Especially since I might imprint, and be to my ex-boyfriend what Sam was to me. Oh well, at least there's the added benefit of nobody in the Air Force knowing my secret or being a wolf themselves._

I allowed a grin to cross my features briefly as I studied my reflection in the black surface of the microwave. I knew that everyone thought me beautiful. I had thought myself at least pretty, but even that little degree of self-esteem vanished like smoke in the wind when Sam dumped me for my hot cousin. Of course, now she wasn't as beautiful, with her face marred like that, but if you only looked at the one side of her face—maybe saw her from the side—she was stunning.

Not like me.

I was 6'2", an inappropriate height for a girl. Sam had been that height before becoming a wolf; since then he had been 6'6". I had had beautiful long silky black hair, but it was 'inconvenient' for a wolf so I had to cut it off. Since then, I'd grown it out to my shoulders, but I had to cut it (again) for the military. It was against dress code to have hair past the collar, unless it was done up, and I had never liked wearing my hair up. I digress—I also had high, narrow cheekbones, and large, dark, 'exotic' eyes, which I privately thought bulged out from my face, though everyone told me I had beautiful eyes that were set deep in my face. My skin was pretty much flawless (since werewolves didn't get acne,) except for a mole just under my chin. Well, and the scars I'd gained since phasing, fighting leeches like the redhead who'd brought in a couple dozen leeches.

My phone buzzed again. I groaned. _A lot of callers today_. Reluctantly I pulled it from my pocket and looked at the tiny screen on the outside. _Emily Uley._ My ex-boyfriend and my scarred cousin had gotten married a few months after the Cullens had left town; I hadn't wanted to change Emily's last name on my phone from Clearwater to my ex-boyfriend's, but it had to be done. Briefly I considered refusing her call, then decided that I would have to face the music sometime.

"What do _you_ want." My voice was cold and flat, making the question a statement. Hopefully I would _never_ get to hear her stupid girly voice again. That was another thing—she had a lovely soprano; I had a deeper, more gravelly voice, with a tendency towards alto, if I ever sang. A rare occurrence even before Sam took my heart, ripped it apart, and burned the remains; now I never sang. Ever.

"Leah…" She trailed off, and there was a moment of silence.

"Mrs. Uley." I was being my coldest, despite the pleading tone of voice my former best friend was using. "I believe I asked, 'what do you want.'"

"Don't leave, Lee-lee. Please. La Push won't be the same without you."

"_Don't call me Lee-lee!"_ I shouted, abruptly at the end of my patience. How _dare _she-! I snapped the phone shut, accidentally crushing it. Oh well, that meant I would have to get a new phone.

It was all for the best, really. If anybody from La Push could contact me, they would, daily, and I would get in a lot of trouble. Not to mention that I would have second thoughts about committing my life to this, and I would never be able to resist Seth's or Mom's repeated pleadings that they didn't want to lose me like they lost Dad. Then again, they wouldn't use that argument anymore, not since Mom was marrying the chief of Forks' police.

I was shaking with uncontrollable rage. _Darn it! I thought I would be able to control my temper! I HATE THOSE STINKING LEECHES!_

I ran out of the house, my breathing coming in frantic gasps as I bounded full-speed towards the cliffs. If I wasn't mistaken, Seth would be treating Natasha to their second date tonight, and revealing to her his nature as a wolf; he wouldn't be at the cliffs. There was a storm brewing, as well. Quil, Embry, Jared, and Paul had planned to go cliff-diving today, but with Jared and Paul no longer invincible wolves, they couldn't risk diving in stormy weather. Nobody would be there.

Cliff-diving would calm me down. I had phased yesterday—staying human for a week or two wouldn't stop me from phasing altogether. And I was sure I would have the weekends free, so I would be able to phase then. I hated hunting in wolf form, but if I wasn't getting enough nutrition in human form, I would have to. Since Colorado Springs (my home for the next however many years) was right by the Rocky Mountains, I would have plenty of room to hunt, or just run as a wolf.

"Stop it, Leah," I told myself angrily, as I almost phased. Thinking of running as a wolf made me want to do it. "There's plenty of time for that once you've settled in."

I had almost reached the cliffs. Slowing, I took in my last good look at La Push. The village was quite small, really; only a few of the houses were even two-story, modern homes. My house, fortunately, was one of them. Glancing past the village, I took in the craggy face of the mountains, standing tall and proud, belying the weight of the wide, storm-dark sky. Turning, I approached the cliffs, a smile flitting across my face as I relished the prospect of diving. It was always exhilarating, to cut through the sea air for several minutes before plunging into refreshingly cool saltwater.

I breathed deeply and calmly, realizing with satisfaction that coming out here for one last cliff-dive was exactly what I needed. I had almost finished packing; once I returned, I would be able to complete the task without phasing in a passionate moment. Now all I needed was to actually experience the dive into the stormy north Pacific one last time; then I would be able to go home, finish packing, and take Bella's old motorcycle (she'd given it to me, since there was nobody else that she would give it to—I supposed it was some sort of peace gesture) to the airport. I'd finally be able to get rid of the ancient thing. It actually only got 15 miles to the gallon, and could only carry 15 gallons total. So I could go 225 miles on a full tank.

I had an almost-full tank, and Seattle was about 245, maybe 250 miles away, which meant I'd only have to refuel once. Maybe in Tacoma? I wasn't sure. Tacoma was smaller than Seattle, but much bigger than Forks. I hoped I would be able to find a gas station and maybe a motel, since my flight left in the morning.

I would have to get to the airport before 7; it always took a couple of hours to drop off my baggage and then get through security. A motel in Tacoma would be good, though a place close to the Seattle airport would be better. I supposed it depended on what time I got to Tacoma. Bella's old motorcycle went fast, but not all that fast; it could never top 70. If I left in half an hour, I might make it to Tacoma before sunset, find a motel, and pass out on the double bed/duvet available in the cheapest room. I _might_ get enough sleep to last me the day, though somehow I doubted it.

I stopped thinking about the long couple of days ahead and took a deep breath before taking the plunge.


End file.
